Teeth cleaning device

Abstract

In one embodiment, the invention may be a teeth cleaning device including: a first support structure comprising a first dentature channel configured to receive at least a first portion of a dentature of a user; a plurality of teeth cleaning pads located within the first dentature channel; a plurality of air bladders operably coupled to the teeth cleaning pads; an air-flow subsystem operably coupled to the air bladders; and a control unit operably coupled to the air-flow subsystem, the control unit configured to: (1) pressurize the air bladders with external air in a pressurization mode; and (2) transfer air between select ones of the air bladders in a cleaning mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A teeth cleaning device comprising:
 a support structure comprising a dentature channel configured to receive at least a portion of a dentature of a user, the dentature channel defined by a floor, a glossal wall, and a facial wall, the floor of the dentature channel comprising a first floor portion, a second floor portion, and a third floor portion, the first floor portion being located between the second and third floor portions; 
 a first floor air bladder located on the floor along the second floor portion and a second floor air bladder located on the floor along the third floor portion, the first and second floor air bladders being spaced apart from one another by the first floor portion of the floor of the first dentature channel; 
 a first floor teeth cleaning pad coupled to the first floor air bladder and a second floor teeth cleaning pad coupled to the second floor air bladder, the first and second floor teeth cleaning pads being configured to engage biting surfaces of premolar and molar teeth of the user when the teeth cleaning device is positioned within an oral cavity of the user; and 
 an air-flow subsystem fluidly coupled to the first and second floor air bladders; 
 wherein the glossal wall comprises a first glossal wall portion that is aligned with the first floor portion, a second glossal wall portion that is aligned with the second floor portion, and a third glossal wall portion that is aligned with the third wall portion, the first glossal wall portion being oriented at an obtuse angle relative to the first floor portion, and the second and third glossal wall portions being oriented perpendicular relative to the second and third floor portions, respectively. 
 
     
     
       2. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 1  further comprising a control unit operably coupled to the air-flow subsystem, the control unit configured to: (1) pressurize the air bladders with external air in a pressurization mode; (2) transfer air between select ones of the air bladders in a cleaning mode; and (3) depressurize the air bladders by releasing the pressurized air from the air bladders to an ambient atmosphere. 
     
     
       3. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 at least one glossal air bladder coupled to the glossal wall and fluidly coupled to the air-flow subsystem; and 
 at least one glossal teeth cleaning pad coupled to the at least one glossal air bladder and configured to engage glossal surfaces of the user's teeth. 
 
     
     
       4. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 3  further comprising:
 at least one facial air bladder coupled to the facial wall and fluidly coupled to the air-flow subsystem; and 
 at least one facial teeth cleaning pad coupled to the at least one glossal air bladder and configured to engage glossal surfaces of the user's teeth. 
 
     
     
       5. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 1  wherein the first floor portion of the floor of the first dentature channel is free of any air bladders and teeth cleaning pads thereon. 
     
     
       6. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 1  wherein each of the first and second floor teeth cleaning pads comprises a substrate layer and a plurality of teeth cleaning elements extending from the substrate layer. 
     
     
       7. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 6  wherein the plurality of teeth cleaning elements are in a shape of a truncated cone or a truncated pyramid so that the teeth cleaning elements are tapered from a base portion thereof which is attached to the substrate layer to a tip portion thereof which is remote from the substrate layer. 
     
     
       8. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 6  wherein each of the plurality of teeth cleaning elements is formed from thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
       9. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 6  wherein the plurality of teeth cleaning elements are positioned along the substrate layer in an offset arrangement which forms a hexagonal grid. 
     
     
       10. A teeth cleaning device comprising:
 a support structure comprising a dentature channel configured to receive at least a portion of a dentature of a user, the dentature channel defined at least in part by a channel floor, a facial wall, and a glossal wall; 
 wherein the glossal wall comprises a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, the third portion being located between the first and second portions, the first portion being oriented at a first angle relative to the channel floor and the second and third portions being oriented a second angle relative to the channel floor, the first angle being greater than the second angle; 
 a plurality of teeth cleaning pads, the teeth cleaning pads comprising:
 at least one facial teeth cleaning pad coupled to the facial wall; and 
 at least one glossal teeth cleaning pad coupled to the glossal wall; 
 
 a plurality of air bladders operably coupled to the plurality of teeth cleaning pads; and 
 an air-flow subsystem operably coupled to the air bladders. 
 
     
     
       11. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 10  wherein the facial wall comprises a first portion that is aligned with the first portion of the glossal wall, a second portion that is aligned with the second portion of the glossal wall, and a third portion that is aligned with the third portion of the glossal wall, the first, second, and third portions of the facial wall being oriented perpendicularly relative to the channel floor. 
     
     
       12. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 10  wherein the channel floor comprises a first portion that is aligned with the first portion of the glossal wall, a second portion that is aligned with the second portion of the glossal wall, and a third portion that is aligned with the third portion of the glossal wall, wherein there are air bladders located along the second and third portions of the channel floor but not along the first portion of the channel floor. 
     
     
       13. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 10  further comprising at least one floor teeth cleaning pad coupled to the channel floor, and wherein each of the facial, glossal, and floor teeth cleaning pads comprises a plurality of tooth cleaning elements formed from polyurethane. 
     
     
       14. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 10  wherein the first angle is an obtuse angle and the second angle is a perpendicular angle. 
     
     
       15. The teeth cleaning device according to  claim 10  wherein the at least one facial teeth cleaning pad comprises a plurality of tooth cleaning elements that extend along a first axis that is parallel to the channel floor, and wherein the at least one glossal teeth cleaning pad comprises a plurality of tooth cleaning elements that extend along a second axis that is oblique to the channel floor. 
     
     
       16. The teeth cleaning device of  claim 10  wherein the channel floor comprises a first floor portion, a second floor portion, and a third floor portion, the first floor portion having a first width and the second and third floor portions having a second width, the first width being less than the second width.